I’ve really been missing my Orchids. I had about 3-1/2 dozen Orchids of all varieties in my lovely shaded yard in Florida. They only got dappled morning sun there. When I bought my home in Georgia I had to adopt out all my Orchids to a friend in Florida because my yard has too much sun from October-April.
I went shopping yesterday! I found this Beauty! Guess what’s on my desk at The Swamp now? Welcome home, you gorgeous thing!
The Garden Center also the most spectacular Lily, which has one of my all time favorite scents. It was a monumental effort, but I resisted.
Phalaenopsis (Blume 1825) is a genus of approximately 60 species of orchids (family Orchidaceae). The abbreviation in the horticultural trade is Phal.
The generic name means “Phalaen[a]-like” and is probably a reference to the genus Phalaena, the name given by Carolus Linnaeus to a group of large moths; the flowers of some species supposedly resemble moths in flight. For this reason, the species are sometimes called Moth orchids. weekend snapshot
I used to have a little red plastic suitcase, left over from my childhood sleepovers. It held all my special memories and all my hopes for the future.
That’s where I saved all of the love notes Mr. X wrote to me while we were in Junior High and High School. I also kept all the ticket stubs from movies and concerts, napkins from restaurants, all the little mementos of our 5 years of dating before we got married. It even has some wedding souvenirs in it and some pictures. When Mr. X and I divorced and I moved out, I had forgotten all about it. It was in the spare bedroom closet. I asked him for it years ago. He’s since remarried, sold the house and moved.
It was a lovely Christmas morning. Me, my SisterDears and brothers were joyfully opening our gifts. Later in the day we were having a large family gathering, my favorite kind of Christmas! Nana Gert, Auntie Jeanne and her family were coming to have Christmas dinner with us. I had crocheted a peach-colored scarf and hat for Nana and I couldn’t wait for her to open it!! It was going to be a most wonderful Christmas Day!
I had just opened a gift. It was a brand new 45 that I’d been wanting so badly, Precious and Few by Climax.
The phone rang and MotherDear answered. I heard the most mournful sound come from her mouth. Nana Gert had died during the night at Auntie Jeanne’s. She had fallen asleep in the rocking chair, knitting a last minute gift for somebody. The doctor said she had likely fallen asleep and had a stroke during the night. She never knew anything.
The rest of that day is just a blur, the only other thing I remember from that day is that I went downstairs to the basement and spent the entire day and long into the night crying my heart out. I played that 45 over and over and over again. I literally wore it out, remembering my Nana and missing her so badly it was physically painful.
It was the first time in my life that I realized that I had to treasure each moment with somebody who I love. From that moment, I am always mindful that it might be my last opportunity to share time with them. Because none of ever knows when the last moment in time may come.
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Visit here if you’d like to do your own Message in a Bottle, you do not have to be tagged. I chose to combine mine with a post because Nana Gert was my inspiration for my Message.
This Royal Straight Flush was the cake from the Rehearsal Dinner for Mike & Danielle, my very awesome nephew Mike and my lovely new niece, Danielle.
Danielle had this cake made just for Mike because Mike loves Texas Hold ‘em (and who wouldn’t?). Mike’s “All In”.
They got married last July. Danielle felt just a little bit bad for Mike because the rest of the Wedding was “all about Danielle”. Naturally, and why shouldn’t it be?
They just bought and moved into their very first home a few weeks ago.
Congratulations you guys! You are the coolest… except for you Bri.
If you missed yesterday’s post, I encourage you to have a look. There’s an 11 minute video that may change how you live your life.
I’ve really been missing my Orchids. I had about 3-1/2 dozen Orchids of all varieties in my lovely shaded yard in Florida. They only got dappled morning sun there. When I bought my home in Georgia I had to adopt out all my Orchids to a friend in Florida because my yard has too much sun from October-April. 
weekend snapshot
When 
The very best job I could ever imagine is one that would pay me to think… and the currency would be wine!
